Yukon Wildlife Key Area Polygons For Critical Seasonal Functions

250,000 Wildlife Key Areas (WKAs) are locations used by wildlife for critical, seasonal life functions. The Government of Yukon maintains this polygon dataset, which is derived from interviews with locals and GIS interpretation of wildlife surveys. Updates occur periodically, with the last update in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Map WKA polygon boundaries to analyze spatial overlap with proposed development or protected areas.
• Analyze seasonal wildlife use patterns by interpreting the life function criteria associated with each polygon.
• Identify potential habitat corridors by examining the proximity and distribution of 250,000 key area polygons across the landscape.

Strengths

• Contains 250,000 distinct geographic polygons representing Wildlife Key Areas.
• Data is curated by the authoritative Government of Yukon and distributed via its official GeoYukon platform.
• Polygons are derived from multiple sources including local interviews and GIS interpretation of wildlife surveys.

Limitations

• WKAs are identified from observed wildlife locations, not intensive habitat assessment, potentially missing important habitat features.
• Boundaries and designations can change with new information, but updates are only periodic, risking temporal staleness.
• The dataset scope is limited to key seasonal functions; other sites important for wildlife may not be included.

Provenance

Source

Government of Yukon | Gouvernement du Yukon

Collection Method

Polygons derived from interviews with locals and GIS interpretation of wildlife/habitat surveys following taxon-specific criteria.

Time Range

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Freshness

Last updated March 2026; updates occur periodically.

Geography

Yukon, Canada